Overview & Reviews

Chevrolet sells an impressively wide range of vehicles, from subcompact hatchbacks to huge vans and SUVs. If you're looking for a reasonably priced vehicle, odds are that Chevy will have something to fit your needs.

Chevrolet got its start in 1911. After William C. Durant had been ousted from General Motors, he joined forces with Swiss-born racecar driver Louis Chevrolet to found the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. The company's first offering was the Classic Six. Introduced in 1912, this five-passenger touring sedan could top 65 mph, fast for the time. Chevrolet's storied bowtie logo -- reportedly inspired by the wallpaper of a Paris hotel room that Durant stayed at -- made its first appearance in 1914.

By 1918, Chevrolet's profitability allowed Durant to purchase enough shares in GM to regain control. Chevrolet became another division of GM, and was its largest volume division by the mid-1920s. By 1927, Chevrolet outsold rival Ford, with sales in excess of 1 million units.

In the mid-1930s Chevrolet introduced independent front suspension, which provided a smoother ride over the rough roads of the day. The 1940s saw continued success with affordable coupes, sedans and pickup trucks catering to American families, farmers and businessmen.

By the mid-1950s, Chevrolet, GM's entry-level division, had added a V8 engine, power steering and brakes, power windows and air-conditioning to its list of available features, allowing luxury for those on a tighter budget. Around this time the iconic Bel Air model -- available in coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon body styles -- proved very popular. The company introduced its alluring Corvette in 1953; the vehicle was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body.

The 1960s saw the unveiling of the popular, air-cooled Corvair compact, which held the distinction of being the first domestic production car with all-around independent suspension. That decade also witnessed the launch of the compact Nova, the midsize Chevelle and the sporty Camaro, the latter Chevrolet's answer to the wildly successful Ford Mustang. The Camaro proved an instant hit, comprising 10 percent of Chevrolet's total sales in 1967, its first year of production.

In the 1970s, Chevy responded to changing preferences by introducing small cars like the Vega and the Chevette, and by downsizing larger models such as the Caprice and Malibu. The company combated the market domination of foreign nameplates in the 1980s by rolling out the Cavalier. By the end of that decade, trucks and SUVs had started to become increasingly popular with the general consumer, and the brand's mid- and full-size models continue to this day to be some of the most popular on the road.

The '90s and the early 2000s saw the company raising the performance bar with its Corvette (notably the Z06 and, later, ZR1 variants) and reincarnated Impala SS. Chevrolet's Silverado pickup truck and Tahoe/Suburban SUVs continued to be hits as well. By 2010, the Camaro had returned to the lineup after a seven-year hiatus.

Modern times have seen Chevrolet make significant improvements in its small and midsize car models and introduce the Volt plug-in hybrid. The latter provides a nearly 40-mile range on electric power alone, and adds to the company's already well-rounded lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs. Though today's marketplace is very demanding, Chevrolet seems poised to remain a power player through its affordable and innovative vehicles.

User Reviews:

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  disappointed - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Tony - March 30 - 10:59 pm

  I enjoyed my Aveo 5 at first. A few months into owning it, it died on me on a winters night. Vehicle was towed to dealership. Computer was reprogrammed. Before this happened I was getting 35 mpg. Afterward, Im getting 23 mpg. Have contacted GM and they will do nothing about it. Purchased car for good gas mileage so am very disappointed. My mid size, V6, Saturn Aura gets better mileage than Aveo,a 4 cyl. econo car. Also lots of rattles. Will probably get rid of it at a loss. Sad!

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  Too slow - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Ardis - March 27 - 12:06 pm

  This truck rattles like a tin can. It is extremely slow to take off and once highway speeds are achieved, it has no strength to overtake other vehicles though you may give it all the gas you have. The front end is squeaking and popping like popcorn on the road even on smooth pavement. Ive maintained the truck very well and Ive had to change the fuel pump twice in the last three years. Both rear calipers locked up on it within two weeks of each other. Lots of minor mxs but Ive never had a problem with the engine not working. It still starts right up w/o a problem but it has its domestic vehicle problems. Not built to last!

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  Frustrated - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By learned my lesson - March 25 - 1:10 pm

  Problems almost from jumpstreet- rattles, engine noises, 2 batteries in 10 months, display cluster replaced, check engine light is pretty much a constant precense which dealership never can quite repair- transmission issues- Was a Toyota buyer and wife talked me into saving about $6K by buying the Tahoe over the Sequoia- never again

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  A dissappointment - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By timbuktu - March 21 - 6:16 am

  After having owned Chevy/GMC trucks most of my life, most of them used, I looked forward to a new, fully equipped version. I was disappointed in the quality of this vehicle. The roof is so thin, it "oilcans" constantly if the wind blows. Multiple trips to the dealer were required to quiet most of window the leaks. Repairs have been required to the drive train, the electrical system, the brakes and the steering system. All after the minimal warranty expired. Im trading this one in. Too much attention to the excellent bells and whistles and not enough on reliability and "truckness".

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  camaro v6 - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mike - March 20 - 2:25 am

  All and all i must say it was another low quality GM product. I bought the car at 80,000 miles, and had it untill it tanked out around 96,000 miles. During that time, it was broken down more than it ran. Always something, id fix one thing and something else would go wrong. When it did run performance was not what it should have been. My scion and integra are much more fun to drive. The v6 was quick enough for daily driving, but dont expect to win any races. The car was a decent looking car minus the ugly stock rims. The t-tops were cool, and i LOVED the interior. By far the best interior of any car i ever owned. It came stock 2 tone black and red inside.

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  Unreliable - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Tommie - March 19 - 3:56 pm

  I have owned this car for a little over 2 years and have less than 60,000 miles on it and the power steering has gone out on it. I called GM and their response was that it was no longer under warranty and they were not responsible for it. They offered a50% discount on the almost $900 repair it would take to fix it and only gave me 90 days to fix it. Do not buy this car it is a piece of junk. The Sun roof broke at 37,000 miles, the in dash console broke at around the same time. It cost a lot of money on maintenance and is not worth your money, even GM wont stand behind this piece of junk!

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  Very UNHAPPY - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By UnHappy - March 19 - 3:29 pm

  I got my used 2006 Chevy Malibu in June of 2007. Since then I have had the POWER STEERING fixed a total of 4 times and the problem still occurs. I could be in the middle of driving and the power steering signal will display on my LCD screen and my wheel will lock up on me in the middle of the road. Its very scary and I am tired of getting it fixed and CHEVY is not fixing it. I go it fixed last month, Feb 2009 and now the problem is back a month later. I am not a happy customer.

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  Mini Van - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Chris - March 18 - 10:08 pm

  We purchased this van right off the truck it still had the White plastic on the doors. My wife was so excited our first new vehicle! Right away starting problems let us stranded, then went through 2 alternators and a voltage regulator light still flickered. Then around 34,000 miles (3 yrs&1mo) the problems hit. Low oil press light, fuse pop to radio 4 times, 60amp fuse would pop controlling power doors and turn lights brake lights, then abs light and trac control light came on. We took it back to the dealer $300+ diagnostic later no issues could be duplicated out of warranty.. I hated this van for the last three months I owned it. I would never allow one of my friends or family to purchase one!

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  Trading it in after 4 months - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Walker - March 17 - 10:00 am

  Owned vehicle for 4 months. Air conditioning has gone out three times and the dealer tells me that it is very very common. In fact, he told me that it may go out again. Squeeky back window and horrible suspension. The seats are confortable if you are under 6 feet tall. Gas mileage is good for the engine size. If you dont mind not having air conditioning its a great vehicle, just make sure to visit it once or twice in the shop. We have a 2001 Chevy 3500 and a 2002 Corvette with no problems. Chevy just hasnt gotten the Trailblazer down, time for us to look to Jeep for help with an SUV

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  The Worst Car Ever - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Erin - March 13 - 3:45 pm

  Ever since I bought this car, it has been in the shop over and over again. I have had transmission problems, wiring problems, engine problems....you name it. And, for some of the issues, I had to take it in two, three, or four times before they could find the problem. For instance, I was driving around with a bad throttle body for 2.5 years before they found the problem. And, I took it in because a lot of my lights were not working, and there was a wiring problem. After 3 visits, the wiring is still not correct, but they say it is. When I took it in bc of the wiring, they realized my gearshift was bad, and they had to replace it. This is a warning to everybody out there, do not buy an Aveo.